David Boies
David Boies is well-known for his successful case against Bill Gates and Microsoft, as well as his defense of another computer industry giant, IBM Corp., against a Justice antitrust lawsuit that stretched 13 years and is known as the agency's "Vietnam." Boies cross-examined a Justice economist in that case for 38 days.
Boies was successful at getting seven of the world's largest drug companies to agree to pay $1.17 billion to settle an antitrust class action charging them with a worldwide conspiracy to fix vitamin prices. It's the largest award in an antitrust class action. Boies also represented Manhattan real estate magnate Sheldon H. Solow, who's case was against W.R. Grace & Co. The jury awarded Mr. Solow $11.5 million on asbestos-damage claims to his 57th Street building.
In his most recent legal battle, Boies represented Vice President Al Gore in his battle for the White House in the 2000 Presidental Election. Gore disputed the vote counts in the razor thin race in the State of Florida. Everyone agrees that if anyone can best represent Gore, David Boies can.
A partner in Boies & Schiller of Armonk, N.Y., Boies works hard to earn his $550-an-hour fee. He frequently works without notes -- even appeared once before the Supreme Court without using notes -- but has a highly polished courtroom delivery.
He was voted Lawyer of the Year by the The National Law Journal in 1999. The National Law Journal described Boies as "the Michael Jordan of the courtroom, an arena where he employs singular gifts--a steel-trap mind, a laser-sharp memory, a head for chess and a skill with words--to raise the level of the game for all involved."